Green rooms Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management Colin Johnson commented for a Nov. 7 KGO/ABC 7 television news report on the increasing use of sustainable technology and practices in the hospitality industry. "I think it is a trend. Most of the major chains have bought into this idea of buying into sustainable development, looking after the environment, but also, of course, it was because (it) produces very attractive cost savings for them," Johnson said. "I think it (has) got to happen eventually, all over, not just in California or the U.S., but all over the world, really."

Economic lockdown On Nov. 4 the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News and The Desert Sun reported on a study conducted by Associate Professor of Economics Philip King for the Palm Springs City Council regarding a proposed 7,200-bed jail. The study concluded that "…even a relatively small reduction in tourist spending would be sufficient to tip the balance on the negative side for the Palm Springs area." The loss of over $90 million per year in tourism, he added, could also "significantly exacerbate existing urban decay."

Giving up on superman Associate Professor of Secondary Education Jamal Cooks, in a Nov. 3 Oakland Tribune column, wrote about his reaction to the movie "Waiting for Superman," a documentary about issues in education. He concluded that we know what makes schools great -- have administrators with a vision, competent teachers who agree on how to educate children, a focus on the children's mastery of subjects and a love of students and teaching -- what is lacking is action. "I am waiting for communities to get upset, demand change and take back their neighborhood schools. Let's not continue to wait for Superman," Cooks said.